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[This version: 15 November 1993]
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THE DHAMMAPADA

An anthology of 423 Buddhist verses embodying ethical and spiritual
precepts arranged by subject.

Translated from Pali by John Richards.

Copyright (c) 1993 John Richards, Pembrokeshire (UK)
Internet - jhr@elidor.demon.co.uk, CompuServe ID - 100113,1250


The Dhammapada - Information

The Dhammapada is an anthology of verses, belonging to the part of the
Theravada Pali Canon of scriptures known as the Khuddaka Nikaya, and
consists of 423 verses.

Something like a quarter of the verses are to be found in other parts of
the Pali Tipitaka, particularly in the other verse parts of the Khuddaka
Nikaya such as the Sutta Nipata and the Thera- and Theri-gatha.

The Dhammapada is probably the most popular book of the Pali Canon, with
the possible exception of the Satipatthana Sutta, or the Sutta on the
Turning of the Wheel of the Law (Dhamma-cakka-ppavattana Sutta). It is
certainly the most frequently translated portion.

There are a number of Mahayana works to which it appears to be closely
related. There are in the Chinese scriptures 4 works resembling the
Dhammapada. The nearest is the Fa Chu Ching, which was translated in AD
223. (translated by Beal), the first part of which seems to be a direct
translation of the Pali Dhammapada. (It is intriguing to wonder how a
Pali work found its way to China in those early years. The Introduction
merely says it was brought from India and was translated as a joint
venture by a Chinese and an Indian.) One small piece of evidence that
the Chinese is a translation from the Pali is found in the verse
corrsponding to the Pali verse 146. The Chinese here reads "remembering
the everlasting burnings", having mistaken the word "sati", (which in
the Pali is the locative case of the present participle of a verb for
"being") for the noun "sati", memory, or recollection. The later part of
the Chinese appears to be an anthology in its own right.

There is also a Dhammapada in the Gandhari language (edited and
translated by Brough), but although it contains at least half of its
verses in common with the Pali Dhammapada, the order and distribution
make it fairly certain that there is no direct link between the two
works.

There is another work in Sanskrit called the Udanavarga, which also has
a large number of verses in common with the Dhammapada, but again seems
to be a completely independent compilation. It is often most instructive
though to compare some of the verses in these different collections.
Sometimes they are effectively identical, but at other times they are
radically different. It would be a rash man, in our present state of
scholarship, who ventured to assert which is the original.

Like most anthologies of verses, the Dhammapada is very uneven. Some
verses are both profound and deeply poetic. Others are awkward, and
little more than a list of technical terms. The overall effect of the
Dhammapada however is undoubtedly of high moral and spiritual
earnestness, and a typically Buddhist gentle persuasiveness. It would be
hard to point to a poetic book of a similar length in world religious
literature of a correspondingly sustained level.
	- John Richards (19.Oct.1993)
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The Dhammapada
(An Anthology of Verses)

1. The Pairs

Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made. To
speak or act with a defiled mind is to draw pain after oneself, like a
wheel behind the feet of the animal drawing it. 1

Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made. To
speak or act with a peaceful mind, is to draw happiness after oneself,
like an inseparable shadow. 2

I have been insulted! I have been hurt! I have been beaten! I have been
robbed! Anger does not cease in those who harbour this sort of thought.
3

I have been insulted! I have been hurt! I have been beaten! I have been
robbed! Anger ceases in those who do not harbour this sort of thought. 4

Occasions of hatred are certainly never settled by hatred. They are
settled by freedom from hatred. This is the eternal law. 5

Others may not understand that we must practice self-control, but
quarrelling dies away in those who understand this fact. 6

The Tempter masters the lazy and irresolute man who dwells on the
attractive side of things, ungoverned  in his senses, and unrestrained
in his food, like the wind overcomes a rotten tree. 7

But the Tempter cannot master a man who dwells on the distasteful side
of things, self- controlled in his senses, moderate in eating, resolute
and full of faith, like the wind cannot move a mountain crag. 8

The man who wears the yellow-dyed robe but is not free from stains
himself, without self- restraint and integrity, is unworthy of the robe.
9

But the man who has freed himself of stains and has found peace of mind
in an upright life, possessing self-restraint and integrity, he is
indeed worthy of the dyed robe. 10

To see the essence in the unessential and to see the essence as
unessential means one can never get to the essence, wandering  as one is
in the road of wrong intentions. 11

But to see the essence in the essential and the unessential as the
unessential it is means one does get to the essence, being on the road
of right intentions. 12

In the same way that rain breaks into a house with a bad roof, desire
breaks into the mind that has not been practising meditation. 13

While in the same way that rain cannot break into a well-roofed house,
desire cannot break into a mind that has been practising meditation
well. 14

Here and beyond he suffers. The wrong-doer suffers both ways. He suffers
and is tormented to see his own depraved behaviour. 15

Here and beyond he is glad. The doer of good is glad both ways. He is
glad and rejoices to see his own good deeds. 16

Here and beyond he is punished. The wrong-doer is punished both ways. He
is punished by the thought, "I have done evil", and is even more
punished when he comes to a bad state. 17

Here and beyond he rejoices. The doer of good rejoices both way. He
rejoices at the thought, "I have done good", and rejoices even more when
he comes to a happy state. 18

Even if he is fond of quoting appropriate texts, the thoughtless man who
does not put them into practice himself is like cowherd counting other
people's cows, not a partner in the Holy Life. 19

Even if he does not quote appropriate texts much, if he follows the
principles of the Teaching by getting rid of greed, hatred and delusion,
deep of insight and with a mind free from attachment, not clinging to
anything in this world or the next - that man is a partner in the Holy
Life. 20

2. Attention

Attention leads to immortality. Carelessness leads to death. Those who
pay attention will not die, while the careless are as good as dead
already. 21

So having clearly understood the value of attention, wise men take
pleasure in it, rejoicing in what the saints have practised. 22

Those who meditate with perseverance, constantly working hard at it, are
the wise who experience Nirvana, the ultimate freedom from chains. 23

When a man is resolute and recollected, pure of deed and persevering,
when he is attentive and self-controlled and lives according to the
Teaching, his reputation is bound to grow. 24

By resolution and attention, by discipline and self-control, a clever
man may build himself an island that no flood can overthrow. 25

Foolish, ignorant people indulge in careless lives, whereas a clever man
guards his attention as his most precious possession. 26

Don't indulge in careless behaviour. Don't be the friend of sensual
pleasures. He who meditates attentively attains abundant joy. 27

When a wise man has carefully rid himself of carelessness and climbed
the High Castle of Wisdom, sorrowless he observes sorrowing people, like
a clear-sighted man on a mountain top looking down on the people with
limited vision on the ground below. 28

Careful amidst the careless, amongst the sleeping wide-awake, the
intelligent man leaves them all behind, like a race-horse does a mere
hack. 29

It was by attention that Indra attained the highest place among the
gods. People approve of attention, while carelessness is always
condemned. 30

A bhikkhu taking pleasure in being attentive, and recognising the danger
of carelessness, makes progress like a forest fire, consuming all
obstacles large or small in his way. 31

A bhikkhu taking pleasure in being attentive, and recognising the danger
of carelessness, is incapable of falling away. In fact he is already
close to Nirvana. 32

3. Thoughts

Elusive and unreliable as it is, the wise man straightens out his
restless, agitated mind, like a fletcher crafting an arrow. 33

Trying to break out of the Tempter's control, one's mind writhes to and
fro, like a fish pulled from its watery home onto dry ground. 34

It is good to restrain one's mind, uncontrollable, fast moving, and
following its own desires as it is. A disciplined mind leads to
happiness. 35

A wise man should guard his mind for it is very hard to keep track of,
extremely subtle, and follows its own desires. A guarded mind brings
happiness. 36